Self-aligning pendulum mount



United States Patent 3,411,288 SELF-ALIGNING PENDULUM MOUNT Solomon E. Koplar, 316 Barry St., Chicago, Ill. 60657, and Roberto Romo, Chicago, 11].; said Romo assiguor to said Koplar.

Filed Aug. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 571,848 4 Claims. (Cl. 58-134) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mounting member for a clock pendulum adapted to extend between an escapement pin pallet plate supported on a spindle and a pendulum supporting arm which provides frictional contact between one end of the mounting member and the spindle so that a pendulum supported therefrom by its own weight will assume a self-adjusted vertical plane relative to the spindle.

Summary of the invention The principal object of our invention is the provision in a device of this character of a mounting for a pendulum for a clock and the like which is self-aligning in the event that the clock body is positioned out of a vertical plane parallel to the wall upon which it is mounted, so that the escapement mechanism of such clock will operate properly.

A further object of our invention is the provision in a pendulum mounting of this character, of a mounting member extending between the escapement pallet plate and the pendulum supporting arm, which will become self-aligned in a proper vertical plane and in a spaced parallel relation to the wall upon which the clock is adapted to be mounted.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of our improved pendulum mount;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the reverse side thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of certain parts of the invention in an exploded relationship;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of the bearing member as employed in our invention; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 1.

Our invention resides in a pendulum mount which is positioned between the escapement pin pallet plate 11 and the pendulum supporting rod 12. By the construction to be hereinafter described, we provide a pendulum mount which is self-aligning and which will not affect the striking force of the pallet pins 13 and 14 which are carried by the escapement pin pallet plate 11.

The escapement pin pallet plate 11 is provided with the two parallelly spaced horizontally extending pallet pins 13 and 14, as well as a spindle 15, which extends through the pallet plate 11 and is centered between the pallet pins 13 and 14 in a manner well-known in the escapement pin mechanism art.

The pendulum mount 10 is provided with a reduced upper portion 16 which has a circular opening 17 formed therein. The bottom portion 18 of the mount 10 is slightly wider than the upper portion and is provided with a square aperture 19, the top and bottom edges 20 and 21 of which extend in a parallel direction with respect to the spindle 15.

On the spindle 15 of the escapement pin pallet plate 11 and to the side opposite that from which the pallet.

ing insert is provided with a center opening 25 through,

which is journalled the spindle 15 when such bearing insert is mounted thereon. The insert 24 has its extended leg points 26 and 27 slightly rounded so as to conform to the curvature of the wall defining the opening 17 and the mounting 10. The smaller opposite leg points 28 and 29 are spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of the opening 17 so as not to bear upon the wall defining such opening, as clearly shown in FIG. 5. Thus, when the bearing insert 24 is mounted within the opening 17, the leg points 26 and 27 will bear against the wall defining the opening 17 and be held in such opening by the retaining washers 22 and 23.

A pendulum supporting arm 12 may be provided with a hook end 30 which can be inserted into the rectangular opening 19 formed in the lower end of the pendulum mount 10 so as to bear on the lower wall 21 thereof in a line of force directly perpendicular to the spindle 15.

When a clock has been provided with a pendulum mount as heretofore described and'such clock mounted onto a vertical wall or the like, all that need be done is that the pendulum be initially struck so that by its initial movement the pendulum mount 10 will pivot about the bearing insert 24 and the spindle 15, and assume a position in a correct vertical plane dictated by the weight of the pendulum. The mount 10 is permitted to pivot about the spindle 15 by reason of the fact that the leg points 26 and 27 are the only portions thereof that are in engagement both with the spindle 15 and the mount 10. The weight of the pendulum, however, is sufficient to establish the necessary bearing force between the leg points 26 and 27 and the wall defining the spherical opening 17 formed in the pendulum mount 10, to impart swinging movement to the pendulum as the escapement pin pallet plate 11 is caused to oscillate about the spindle 15 by the clock mechanism. By reason of the limited connection between the pendulum mount 10 and the spindle 15, there results no distortion of the alternate engagement of the escapement pallet pins 13 and 14 as they strike the escapement wheel of the clock mechanism (not shown). Thus, the specific pendulum mount as described herein permits selfalignment and adjustment of the striking force and angle of the pallet pins 13 and 14 with respect to the escapement wheel of the clock mechanism without disturbance from the weight and movement of the pendulum, resulting in a quieter operation and a greater degree of accuracy of the clock.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A mounting member for a clock pendulum adapted to extend between an escapement pin pallet plate supported on a spindle and a pendulum supporting arm wherein the improvement comprises:

(a) a pendulum mounting member between the spindle and the pendulum supporting arm and providing adjacent one end an opening having a diameter greater than the diameter of the spindle so that the latter may be freely projected therethrough,

(b) retaining means for freely positioning said one end of said mounting member on said spindle,

(c) a bearing member positioned in said opening formed in said one end of said mounting member and mounted on the spindle, and having frictional contact with said mounting member for connecting in a self-adjusting vertical plane said mounting memher on the spindle for oscillatory movement with the escapement pin pallet plate, and

(d) means for connecting the pendulum supporting arm to the opposite end of said mounting member to suspend the weight of the pendulum thereon.

2. A mounting member for a clock pendulum as defined by claim 1 wherein said bearing member is substantially diamond-shaped to provide minimum points of frictional contact with the peripheral wall defining said opening formed in said one end of said pendulum mounting member.

3. A monuting member for a clock pendulum as defined by claim 1 wherein said retaining means comprises a pair of retaining washers having diameters greater than the diameter of said opening formed in said one end of said mounting member, said retaining washers having diameters greater than the diameter of said opening formed in said one end of said mounting member, said retaining washers being fixedly journaled on the spindle to either side of said opening so as to freely position said mounting member on the spindle and retain said bearing member in said opening in frictional contact with said mounting member.

4. A mounting member for a clock pendulum as defined by claim 3 wherein said bearing member is substantially diamond-shaped to provide minimum points of frictional contact with the peripheral wall defining said opening formed in said one end of said pendulum mounting member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 629,370 7/1899 Keeler 58134 654,726 7/1900 Getty 58-129 933,381 9/1909 Miller 58134 945,581 1/1910 Ogawa 58134 1,806,966 5/1931 Copelin 58-134 3,171,244 3/1965 Koplar et al 58123 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,004,128 3/ 1952 France.

STEPHEN J. TOMSKY, Primary Examiner.

S. A. WAL, Assistant Examiner. 

